The present invention relates to Nb-based refractory alloys that are less expensive and less dense than some of the current Nb-based refractory alloys, have similar or better ductility, strength specific yield strength and oxidation resistance when compared to current Nb-based refractory alloys. Such Nb-based refractory alloys typically continue to be compatible with current coating systems for Nb-based refractory alloys. Such Nb-based refractory alloys are disclosed herein.

A porous metal foil and porous metal wire are described. Capacitor anodes made from either or both of the porous metal foil and porous metal wire are further described as well as methods to make same.

Provided is a niobium sputtering target having improved film thickness uniformity throughout the target life.

In the niobium sputtering target, a rate of change in a {111} area ratio of each of an upper, central, and lower portions of the sputtering target, as represented by the following equation (2), is 2.5 or less, and the {111} area ratio of each of the upper, central and lower portions is determined by dividing a cross section of a plate-shaped sputtering target perpendicular to a sputtering surface into three equal portions: the upper portion, the central portion and the lower portion from a sputtering surface side in a normal direction of the sputtering surface at an intermediate position between a center and an outer circumference of the sputtering surface of the plate-shaped sputtering target, and measuring a crystal orientation distribution of each of measured regions of the upper portion, the central portion, and the lower portion using an EBSD method:

the {111} area ratio=total area of crystal grains having a {111} plane oriented in the normal direction in the measured regions/total area of the measured regions  Equation (1);

the rate of change=[maximum value−minimum value]/minimum value  Equation (2).

A joint prosthesis system is suitable for cementless fixation. The system includes a metal implant component that has a mounting surface for supporting an insert. The metal implant component includes a solid metal portion and a porous metal portion. The porous metal portion has surfaces with different characteristics, such as roughness, to improve bone fixation, ease removal of the implant component in a revision surgery, reduce soft tissue irritation, improve the strength of a sintered bond between the solid and porous metal portions, or reduce or eliminate the possibility of blood traveling through the porous metal portion into the joint space. A method of making the joint prosthesis is also disclosed. The invention may also be applied to discrete porous metal implant components, such as augment.

A joint prosthesis system is suitable for cementless fixation. The system includes a metal implant component that has a mounting surface for supporting an insert. The metal implant component includes a solid metal portion and a porous metal portion. The porous metal portion has surfaces with different characteristics, such as roughness, to improve bone fixation, ease removal of the implant component in a revision surgery, reduce soft tissue irritation, improve the strength of a sintered bond between the solid and porous metal portions, or reduce or eliminate the possibility of blood traveling through the porous metal portion into the joint space. A method of making the joint prosthesis is also disclosed. The invention may also be applied to discrete porous metal implant components, such as augment.

A method for manufacturing a balance spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, including a step of producing a blank made of a Nb—Zr alloy including between 10 and 30 wt % Zr, a step of annealing and cooling the blank, at least one step of deforming the annealed blank in order to form a wire, wherein, before the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the blank, a layer of a ductile material chosen from copper, nickel, cupronickel, cupro-manganese, gold, silver, nickel-phosphorus Ni—P and nickel-boron Ni—B, in order to facilitate the wire shaping operation, the thickness of the ductile material layer deposited being chosen such that the ratio of the area of ductile material to the area of the alloy for a given wire cross-section is less than 1, preferably less than 0.5, and more preferably lies in the range 0.01 to 0.4.

Disclosed are a BCC dual phase refractory superalloy with high phase stability and a manufacturing method therefor, the alloy comprising one or more of Ti, Zr, and Hf as Group 4 transition metals, one or more of Nb and Ta as Group 5 transition metals, and Al, and having a structure of a BCC phase, wherein the BCC phase is composed of a disordered BCC phase and an ordered BCC phase, and wherein the ordered BCC phase is formed by allowing Al, which is a BCC phase forming element, to be soluted in an area of the BCC phase where the contents of the Group 5 transition metals are more than those of the Group 4 transition metals, so that the present disclosure provides a BCC dual phase refractory superalloy with high phase stability, characterized in that when a BCC dual phase with the ordered BCC phase and the disordered BCC phase separated from each other is formed by aging, the aging condition is precisely cont rolled through the apex temperature (T.sub.c) of the BCC phase miscibility gap, expressed by (Equation 1) below.
T.sub.c(K)=881.4+331.7*x+546.7*y+893.0*x*z  (Equation 1)
(provided that, 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤0.2, 0≤x+y≤1, and 0≤z≤1).

In various embodiments, metallic wires are fabricated by combining one or more powders of substantially spherical metal particles with one or more powders of non-spherical particles within one or more optional metallic tubes. The metal elements within the powders (and the one or more tubes, if present) collectively define a high entropy alloy of five or more metallic elements or a multi-principal element alloy of four or more metallic elements.

In various embodiments, metallic wires are fabricated by combining one or more powders of substantially spherical metal particles with one or more powders of non-spherical particles within one or more optional metallic tubes. The metal elements within the powders (and the one or more tubes, if present) collectively define a high entropy alloy of five or more metallic elements or a multi-principal element alloy of four or more metallic elements.

A medical device that is partially or fully formed of a metal alloy; the metal alloy includes one of a) metal alloy that includes at least 15 awt % rhenium, b) at least 60 wt. % tungsten, at least 15 awt % rhenium, and at least 1 wt % molybdenum, c) at least 50 wt. % rhenium, at least 20 wt. % chromium, and 0.1-80 wt. % of an additive, d) greater than 50 wt. % titanium, 15-45 wt. % niobium, 1-10 wt. % zirconium, and 1-15 wt. % tantalum, e) greater than 50 wt. % titanium, 15-45 wt. % niobium, and 1-10 wt. %, f) 30-60 wt. % cobalt, 10-30 wt. % chromium, 5-20 wt. % iron, 5-22 wt. % nickel, and 2-12 wt. % molybdenum, g) 40-60 wt. % zirconium, and 40-60 wt. % molybdenum, h) 90-99.5 wt. % niobium, and 0.5-10 wt. % zirconium, or i) 55-75 wt. % niobium, 18-40 wt. % tantalum, 1-7 wt. % tungsten, and 0.5-4 wt. % zirconium.